Featured Reviews

Valli Otago 2017 – 2015 Whites and 2016 Pinot Noirs

20 November,2017

Valli Vineyards was my ‘Winery of the Year’ in 2016. Grant Taylor has crafted superb Central Otago
Pinot Noirs for some of the leading labels in the district for over 20 years,
and his Otago regional bottlings under his own Valli Vineyards brand since
1998. In doing so, he has demonstrated
his intimate knowledge of Otago’s sub regions, including the relatively new
Waitaki North Otago area, which he staunchly champions. His wines also show his deep understanding of
the Pinot Noir grape and how it performs in Otago. The Valli style of Pinot Noir not only
captures sub-regional expression, but has a house style of multi-faceted
complexity. However, it is not just
Pinot Noir that Valli Vineyards excels in, but also Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and
especially Riesling. Grant’s bottlings
of these varieties also reflect his passion for making great wine, full
stop. At the beginning of 2015, the very
talented and experienced Jen Parr joined Grant at Valli Vineyards. On my visit to the Valli winery in Cromwell
earlier in March, I could see how Grant and Jen complemented each other in
their outlook on making wine. I can say
they make an incredibly formidable team, and this augurs very well for the
future. Here, I review three white
wines, ranging from 2017 to 2015, and the four sub-region Otago Pinot Noirs
from the warm 2016 season. The white
wines are excellent, and the Pinot Noirs are exceptional. www.valliwine.com

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Valli Waitaki North Otago Riesling 2017

Riesling from New Zealand – Otago

18.5+/20

Bright, very pale straw colour with slight green hues, pale
on the rim. The nose is very fresh and
taut, with tightly bound aromas of lime fruit with white florals, honied
nuances and a little musky talc, unfolding mineral notes. The aromatics are soft and refined, but
refreshingly vibrant and clear in presentation.
Off-dry to taste and light=bodied, this has a taut, tightly concentrated
core of white florals and lime fruit, along with nuances of honey and steely
minerals. The mouthfeel is brisk and
near-racy, with crisp, steely acidity.
The wine flows along a fine-textured line of fruit extract and delicate
phenolics, carrying to a dry, lingering finish of lime, florals, honey and
minerals. Thisd is a taut, concentrated
dryish Riesling with vibrant lime, floral, honey and mineral flavours. Serve as an aperitif and with seafood over
the next 5-6+ years. Waitaki Valley
fruit, vines planted 2007, cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 9.5% alc. and
25 g/L RS, TA 9.82 g/L and pH 2.91. 90
dozen made. 18.5+/20 Nov 2017
RRP $30.00

Valli ‘Gibbston Vineyard’ Central Otago Pinot Gris 2016

Pinot Gris from New Zealand – Otago

18.5/20

Brilliant light straw colour, paler on the rim. The nose is elegantly concentrated with a
fine core of white and yellow stonefruits, lifted white florals and hints of
exotic honeysuckle elements, unveiling a minerally edge, This has purity and fine intensity, Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate
has bright, lively and fresh fruit flavours of white stonefruits, white and
yellow florals, nuances of honeysuckle and minerals. The mouthfeel is finely textured with
delicate phenolic grip, and the acidity is balanced and refreshing. The wine carries to a long, sustained and
concentrated finish of stonefruits and minerals. This is a taut, bright and lively dry Pinot
Gris with stonefruit, floral, honeysuckle and mineral flavours on a
fine-textured palate. Serve with Thai,
Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine over the next 4+ years. Fruit from the estate ‘Gibbston’ vineyard,
vines planted 2001, fermented to 13.0% alc. and 4.4 g/L RS. 530 dozen made. 18.5/20
Nov 2017 RRP $30.00

Valli Waitaki North Otago Late Harvest Riesling 2015

Sweet Wine from New Zealand – Otago

18.5-/20

Bright lemon-gold hued yellow colour, a little lighter on
the edge. The nose is softly full and
voluminous with complex aromas of citrus fruit harmoniously melded with notes
of honey, musk and toast, along with minerally elements. Sweet to taste and light-bodied, the palate
has piquant and penetrating flavours of citrus fruits, honey and musk, with
complexing secondary toastiness. The
mouthfeel is soft with some unctuousness, and smooth-flowing with delicate
textures and crisp, underlying acidity.
The wine flows with good energy and carries smoothly to a soft, honied
finish with florals, musk and toast.
This is as gently rich, sweet Riesling with citrus fruits, honey, and
floral flavours, nuanced by complexing musky botrytis and a layer of secondary
toastiness. Match with mildly spicy
Asian and Middle Eastern fare, and with fruit desserts over the next 4+
years. Fruit from the Waitaki Valley
with botrytis, vines planted 2007, WBP and fermented to 9.1% alc. and 85 g/L
RS, TA 10.4g /L and pH 3.15. 198 dozen
made. 18.5-/20 Nov 2017
RRP $45.00

Brilliant, very pale straw colour, near colourless. The nose is very soft and gentle with honey
and talc from botrytis along with lime and lemon fruit. This unfolds minerals and hints of toasty
complexity. Very sweet to taste, the
palate is very fine and tightly bound, but is lusciously rich, with honey,
apple, lime and mineral flavours. A
little phenolic grip carries the palate, with crisp acidity adding to the
linearity. Some honey, toast and talc
botrytis shows on the finish. 9% alc.
and 85 g/L RS. 18.5-/20 Aug 2017
RRP $N/A

Valli ‘Gibbston Vineyard’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Otago

19.5+/20

Dark, deep ruby-red colour with slight purple hues, a little
lighter on the rim. This has a softly
full and well-concentrated and packed nose of ripe dark-red berried fruits
harmoniously entwined with a layering of dark herbs and soft whole bunch stalk
perfumes and a touch of undergrowth. The
aromatics possess savoury earthy complexities, and the nose is quite complete
in expression. Medium-full bodied, the
palate has rich and lusciously vibrant fruit flavours of ripe, dark-red berries
harmoniously melded with a layering of dark herbs entwined with savoury whole
bunch stalk flavours and hints of undergrowth.
Nuances of dark-red florals and minerals add to the complexity. The mouthfeel has fresh acid vitality with
fine, grainy textures and tannin structure providing plenty of presence. The fruit sweetness carries the wine to a
very long, lingering finish of savoury dark fruits and herbs. This is a rich, lusciously vibrant Pinot Noir
with deeply concentrated flavours of dark-red berry fruits, dark herbs, whole
bunch complexities on a well-structured palate.
The wine is complete in expression. Match with slow-cooked game meat and
casseroles over the next 8-10+ Years. Clones
5, 6, 115, 113, 114 and 777, from the estate ‘Gibbston’ vineyard, vines planted
in 2000, fermented with 30% whole bunches to 13.5% alc., the wine spending 28
days on skins and aged 11 months in 28% new French oak. 1, 250 dozen made. 19.5+/20
Nov 2017 RRP $69.00

Valli ‘Bannockburn Vineyard’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Otago

19-/20

Even ruby-red colour with slight purple hues, lighter
edged. The nose is elegant with fragrant
and ethereal aromas of dark-red berry fruits.
The aromatics build in richness, intensity and depth, showing dark herb
nuances and subtle whole bunch stalk elements.
The aromatics are softly packed and combine savoury complexities with
floral perfumes, unfolding nutty and slightly cedary oak. Medium-full bodied, the palate is rich and
broad, and gently mouthfilling with flavours of sweetly ripe dark-red berry fruit
along with an amalgam of dark herbs, soft whole bunch stalk notes, and nutty,
lifted oak with cedar suggestions. The
fruit sweetness is enhanced by lacy acidity and underlined by fine-grained
powdery tannin extraction. This has a
serious structure and the wine flows with a lovely balance of fruit richness
and grip to an elegant, lingering finish.
This is a gently rich, mouthfilling Pinot Noir with sweet, dark-red
berry fruit, subtle herb and whole bunch detail, and sweet, nutty, cedary oak
on a fine-grained palate. Match with
wild duck and pork over the next 7-9+ years.
Clones 117, 777, 113, 10/5 and 13 from Bannockburn, vines planted in
2000, fermented with 34% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 27 days
on skins and aged 11 months in 31% new French oak. 650 dozen made. 19.0-/20 Nov 2017 RRP $69.00

Valli ‘Waitaki Vineyard’ North Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Otago

19.5-/20

Moderately dark ruby-red with slight purple hues, lighter on
the rim. The nose is fragrant and
perfumed with high-toned red florals and dark-red cherry and berry fruit, with
piquant dark herbs and nuances of whole bunch stalk elements. This is beautifully intense and fine in
penetration. Medium to medium-full
bodied, the fruit is vibrantly rich and sweet, with dark-red cherry and berry
flavours and subtle notes of dark herbs and an array of red and violet
florals. The mouthfeel is refined,
possessing excellent freshness and vitality, with fresh acidity and very
fine-grained tannin extraction. The wine
flows with very good energy leading to a long, sustained aromatic finish of
cherries and berries with fragrant florals.
This is a beautifully elegant Pinot Noir built on dark-red cherry and
berry fruit with fragrant aromatics and subtle herb and whole bunch nuances on
a refined palate. Match with poultry
dishes over the next 7-8+ years. Clone 5
and 115 from the Waitaki Valley, vines planted in 2001, fermented with 20%
whole bunches to 13.5% alc., the wine spending 22 days on skins and aged 11
months in 29% new French oak. 630 dozen
made. 19.5-/20 Nov 2017
RRP $69.00

Valli ‘Bendigo Vineyard’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Otago

19+/20

Dark, deep, purple-hued ruby-red, a little lighter on the
edge, very youthful in appearance. The
nose is firmly packed with deep and dense, tightly concentrated black berried
fruits along with notes of liquorice, plum and spice, with nuances of dark
herbs and whole bunch suggestions. The
nose unfolds layered complexities.
Medium-full bodied, the palate has a deeply concentrated and densely
packed core of ripe dark-red and black berried fruits with nuances of black
plums and liquorice, along with subtle notes of herbs and whole bunch elements,
revealing mineral nuances. The palate
has considerable extraction with fine-grained, flowery tannins and integrated,
ripe acidity. The structure carries the
wine to a fine, firm, dry-textured finish.
This is a firm and densely packed, black-fruited Pinot Noir with
liquorice notes and subtle herb, stalk and mineral complexities on a
well-structured palate with flowery tannins.
Match with roasted beef, lamb and venison, and semi-hard cheeses over
the next 8-10 years. Clones 667, 777,
115, Abel and 5, from Chinaman’s Terrace, Bendigo, vines planted in 2006,
fermented with 40% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 30 days on skins
and aged 11.5 months in 31% new French oak.
497 dozen made. 19.0+/20 Nov 2017
RRP $69.00